Stir+It+Up

=Stir It UP= by Monica Perez

Purpose
What instructional or motivational purpose does this activity serve? The purpose of Stir It Up is to motivate participants to interact with one another while sharing personal or content related information. Stir it Up is a great activity for English Language Learners. It provides an opportunity for them to apply oral language.

Time Required
How many minutes do you estimate it will take? Stir it Up does not require a lot of time. However, the longer time period you use for the activity, the more people participants get to talk to. I generally use about 20 minutes.

Number of Participants
Put a mimimum, maximum and optimal number. There should at least be a large group of people. It works well in a large group setting. Generally I apply it with a class size of 20.

Supplies Needed
What do the facilitator and participants need? Cards? Newsprint to write on? Markers? Name tags? The Facilitator needs to model the activity. For example: If the class is working on getting to know each other. The teacher can have students write down a few questions that they want to obtain data for. "What is your favorite color?" "Where were you born?" "What is your hobby?" ect... When participants are ready, the facilitator will have participants stand. A signal will be give, a bell, and the learners will, "stir it up," by walking person to person to get the information down. At the same time they are applying oral language and getting to know each other. The Participants need, paper, pencil and they can't be shy.

Preparation
What does the facilitator need to do or make ahead of time? The facilitator needs to model how the participants should mingle around the room. It should be demonstrated that this is a structured conversation and they are to meet up for the purpose of getting information down. When the signal goes off, it is time to move on and stir it up around the room to another person. The facilitator should walk the room and listen in on the conversations.

Introduction
Write the script that the facilitator will use to kick it off. Welcome to your first day of class. It's not easy to get to know each other, so let's "Stir it Up!" During Stir it Up you will move around the room and you will be responsible for getting answers to certain questions. You want to get to know each other quickly. So by doing this activity, you will be able to get a lot answers from your classmates. You must stick to the questions and when the signal goes off, that means you must move on and stir it up with someone else.

Process
Step by step, describe what the facilitator and the participants will be doing. If appropriate, estimate the number of minutes each step will take. First, copy the questions down. (Facilitator can choose the topic questions.) Second, stand up with your paper and pencil when you are ready. Third, wait for the signal. When it goes off, walk to the closest person. If they already have a person to talk to, look for someone who is by themselves. Fourth, when you get to the person, Decide who will go first. Ask your questions, and write down their name and answers they give you. Finally, when you hear the signal, you must move one to someone else. You cannot talk to the same person twice. At the final signal return to your seat with your work and be prepared to share who you met and what they are like.

Debrief
List questions the facilitator should ask to solidify what is learned in this activity.

Credits
Was this activity inspired by another you saw elsewhere? Give credit where it is due. This activity was inspired by San Diego State University CLAD Professors. I picked it up along the way.